A first look at Pixar's new short film, The Blue Umbrella

Would you like an early look at the Pixar short film that will front this summer's Monsters University? Then here's a little clip...

Aside from the global success of its features, Pixar has a worldwide reputation as a maker of classic short films. Often serving as a proving ground for new CG technology, or a launch platform for debutante directors, these shorts - from the seminal Luxo Jr to last year's La Luna - have become a vital part of the studio's history.

Pixar's next short film, The Blue Umbrella, will appear in front of Monsters University this summer, and as the clip below proves, Pixar still has the ability to tell concise, gentle stories with little more than a couple of everyday objects.

And in line with some of those earlier short films, The Blue Umbrella marks the debut of a new director - Saschka Unseld, who's been working as a camera and staging artist for Pixar since 2008. According to The Wall Street Journal, who initially published the clip below, the short film is the first attempt at making a photo-realistic film - and the results, from what we can tell, are extremely impressive.